Chapter Seven
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘What I can’t figure out is how she found you here,’ Heath said. ‘At the surgery, maybe, or even at your house, but here? How could she have known?’
‘I doubt it’s as big a mystery as you imagine,’ Ottilie said. ‘Think about it. She can see my Facebook feed. And so she can probably see my friends as well. It only takes one of them to tag where we are and voila . It’s that easy.’
‘Bloody Facebook,’ Heath huffed.
Ottilie sipped at her wine, resolving to look at her privacy settings. She didn’t mind that Fion had found her, but perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to make her information a bit safer.
‘I’d rather people were able to find me at a party here than them knowing where I live.’
‘She doesn’t know where you live then?’
‘She didn’t say so I wouldn’t worry. She seems harmless. In fact, she seems sweet.’
‘You still don’t know anything about her.’
‘True. I’ll arrange to meet on neutral ground – a café or something.’
‘You’re determined you’re going to meet her?’
‘Why wouldn’t I?’
‘Again because you don’t know the first thing about her.’
‘And I’m not going to if I don’t make the effort, am I?’
‘I don’t know how you’re taking it all so calmly.’
‘I don’t think I am. To be honest, I don’t think it’s sunk in yet.’
‘Are you going to tell your mum?’
‘I suppose I ought to. Better to be honest from the start than have her find out another way in a few months. I don’t know how the hell I have that conversation, though.’
‘It’s a shame your mum didn’t think that when she kept your dad a secret from you.’
Ottilie shook her head. ‘We don’t know what happened yet. I’m not going to be angry with her anyway.’
‘You’re never angry with anyone, and sometimes I think that’s your biggest flaw.’
‘Oh God, I’m sorry. You didn’t sign up for this kind of drama, and I must seem like such a lost cause right now, but…’
‘I don’t want you to be sorry. I don’t want you to change. It’s your biggest flaw but also one of your loveliest qualities. That’s not to say it doesn’t make me worry. You’re going to grab her today?’
Ottilie paused, her gaze going back to the house. ‘It doesn’t seem like the ideal time, does it? Difficult not to, but I think I’m going to have to keep it to myself until this is all over.’
‘Difficult is the understatement of the year!’
Their discussion was cut short by Geoff coming out to them. It seemed he’d also been waiting for Fion to leave.
‘Is everything all right?’ he asked. Ottilie could see he wanted to know more but wasn’t sure he ought to ask.
‘Fine,’ Ottilie said. ‘I hope you don’t mind…’
‘Mind what?’
‘That she turned up like that looking for me. To your house, I mean. But there’s nothing to worry about?—’
‘I’m not worried, darling. If you say it’s all right, then I’m happy with that.’
‘Do you mind if I don’t tell you about it for the moment?’ Ottilie asked him. ‘I’m still trying to get my head around it; I will tell you as soon as I do.’
‘Of course. It’s none of my business anyway.’
‘But I will – just not today.’
Geoff hesitated, and then went inside.
‘Are you…’ Heath paused. ‘Are you happy about the idea of having a sister?’
‘I don’t know,’ Ottilie said. ‘Maybe a bit. I always felt like I missed out on siblings as a kid. I suppose I’ll know more how I feel when I get to know her better.’
‘So that’s a decision you’ve already taken then. You want to get to know her.’
‘She did come all this way to find me, and she does seem nice. So yes, I suppose I don’t see any harm in it. I’d better talk it over with Mum first.’
‘Is it anything to do with her?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Is it her business if you choose to meet up with your sister?’
‘I think she’d tell me to make up my own mind about that, but she needs to know. It’s only fair – imagine if she found out and I hadn’t said anything. She’d be so hurt.’
‘You’re right – I don’t know why I said that.’
‘We’d better go back inside – people will start to notice we’ve gone missing.’
‘They might,’ Heath said with a smile. ‘But they’d probably assume we were off doing some private celebrating of our own.’
‘Yes, and that’s the kind of gossip I’d like to avoid,’ Ottilie said.
‘You’re all right to go back in? You don’t need more time?’
‘I can’t pretend I’m not in a bit of a daze, but I’m fine. I can’t abandon a party that’s meant to be for us, especially as everyone in there has made such an effort to be here.’
He held out his hand and she took it, and doing her best to hide the turmoil turning her inside out, she followed him back into the thick of it.
Ottilie tried to forget Fion, at least for the rest of the party, but it was hard. Their brief but meaningful conversation kept running through her head. She found herself examining every little word, every intonation, every facial expression, trying to figure out what they meant, if there was something to be read between the lines. But most of all, her world seemed entirely different than the one she’d inhabited just an hour before.
She had a sister. She was no longer an only child, as she’d always been. She had a whole new family and she knew barely anything about them. And every time she caught sight of her mum across the room chatting to someone, and every time their paths crossed briefly and they shared some observation on how the party was going, Ottilie was desperate to tell her what had happened. It wasn’t the right time, and she didn’t even know where she was going to start when it was. Her mum would need reassurance. She’d feel guilty and she’d fret over what this meant for Ottilie, even though Ottilie herself was feeling remarkably calm, despite all the questions racing around her head.
As proceedings started to wind up and people began to leave, Ottilie found Francine sitting in the conservatory with a cup of tea Flo had made for her.
‘On your own?’ Ottilie asked.
‘Having a breather. Flo was in here with me, but she’s gone to ask Heath something.’
‘Have you had a nice time?’
‘Lovely. Have you?’
Ottilie nodded. ‘It’s been quite an evening.’
Francine gave her a sideways look, and Ottilie wondered whether her tone had revealed more of her feelings than she’d meant to. But Francine didn’t ask; she only reached for her mug and blew softly on the tea before taking a sip. Ottilie could hear people saying their goodbyes in the main room. She knew she ought to go out and see them off, but this moment, here with her mum, suddenly seemed like the moment to share her news. Or rather, to get it off her chest. Either way, she’d have to do it soon. But then Flo came back in and the moment was snatched away.
‘Are you ready to go?’ she asked Francine.
Ottilie raised her eyebrows. ‘Where are you two going off to? Is there an after-party I don’t know about? A new club opening somewhere?’
‘Francine is going to stay with me tonight,’ Flo said briskly.
Ottilie turned to her mum.
‘I was going to mention it a minute ago. We decided it might be nice for you and Heath to have your place to yourselves…in the circumstances.’
‘But—’ Ottilie began.
‘I’ll be glad of the company, and we can get to know each other better,’ Flo cut in.
‘What about Heath’s mum and dad?’
‘They’re going to be staying with me too,’ Flo said. ‘I’ve got room.’
Ottilie was silent for a moment. Her mum seemed more than content with the arrangements, and she supposed it would mean she could get to know Heath’s family better – which had to be a good thing, assuming they’d all get along, and she couldn’t see why they wouldn’t. But it did mean the opportunity for Ottilie to talk to her mum about Fion was gone for tonight. Unless she could take her to one side before she left, but it didn’t seem fair to pack her off to Flo’s house with that kind of bombshell. Once again, it was taken out of her hands as Victor and Corrine came to say goodbye.
‘We wanted to say goodnight before we went home,’ Corrine said, coming to give Ottilie a hug. ‘It’s been lovely – thank you for inviting us.’
‘Thank you for coming!’ Ottilie said. ‘And for the gift.’
‘It was only a little bottle of something,’ Victor said.
‘We couldn’t turn up with nothing. Congratulations, by the way. We’re so happy for you.’
After another tipsy hug and a promise from Ottilie that she would visit the following week, they left. During that time, Francine had finished her tea, and Ottilie could see Flo was itching to leave too. It wasn’t surprising – it had been a long day for Flo, running errands and helping out with the preparations before the party.
‘I’m going to round up that silly pair,’ she said, marching from the conservatory.
Francine frowned as she watched her go. ‘Who’s she going to find?’
‘If I know anything about Flo, I’m going to assume she’s talking about Heath’s mum and dad.’
‘Oh,’ Francine replied warily. ‘Don’t they get along?’
‘I think they get along fine, but Flo has a short fuse, and I think they both test it sometimes. Don’t worry,’ she added, seeing the concern on her mum’s face. ‘It shouldn’t be a problem for you tonight. I’m sure they’ll all be on their best behaviour with you there.’
‘I see.’ Francine looked a little doubtful.
‘You can still come to stay with us if you’d rather.’
‘I don’t know. I think Flo will be offended now if I say I’ve changed my mind about staying with her.’
‘I can’t argue with that – it’s quite likely, knowing Flo, but I thought I’d make the offer anyway.’
Once Flo had found Lori and Colin and had returned to collect Francine, almost all of the other guests had left. Ottilie and Heath were preparing to help with the clean-up, but Magnus had ideas of his own. Rather drunken ideas, but they were finding it difficult to argue with him nonetheless.
‘You two’ – he wagged a finger at both of them in turn, swaying on the spot – ‘must go home and do whatever engaged people do. I will clean up.’
Ottilie suspected he was more likely to end up face down, snoring on a plate of stale vol-au-vents, but she didn’t say so. ‘We can’t leave you to do all this. It’ll take you all night.’
‘No…’ he slurred. ‘Stacey and Geoff will help.’
‘Even so, it’s our party. You’ve let us use your house – the least we can do is help to clean it.’
‘If you even try, I will smack your bottom!’
‘Magnus!’ Ottilie burst out laughing. ‘It’s not 1969, you know! I’m pretty sure you can’t do or say that now.’
‘I can, and I will if you so much as lift a rubbish bag.’ He flung a hand at the door. ‘Now off! Begone! Go and do romantic things!’
‘Magnus,’ Heath said, coming in from the kitchen with a pile of plates. ‘You ought to know by now she’s never going to go and leave the cleaning up for someone else, no matter what you threaten her with. That’s not to say we don’t appreciate the sentiment.’
‘I’ll help too,’ Francine said, and then Magnus rounded on her and wagged another drunken finger. ‘You’re a guest – you can’t do it.’
At the sight of her mum’s disappointment, Ottilie almost laughed. ‘Go with Flo…’ She leaned in and lowered her voice. ‘You’d be doing me a favour – she looks tired, but she’d never admit it and leave without you. If you decide to stay and clean, she will, and she’s dead on her feet.’
Thankfully, Francine could see the logic, and she nodded. ‘I’m ready when you are, Flo,’ she announced.
Flo, who had been getting her coat on, looked relieved. She gestured for Lori and Colin to follow as she marched out.
‘Goodnight, Gran,’ Heath said in a wry tone. If Flo heard him, she didn’t turn around. They only got a goodnight and a promise they’d see Heath and Ottilie the following day from his parents, and a kiss from Francine.
‘Don’t leave without coming over,’ Ottilie told her mum.
‘I wasn’t about to.’
Ottilie wondered whether to say there was something they needed to discuss, but she didn’t want to leave her mum with something that might keep her from sleeping with the worry. So she left it again, the news she wanted and needed to share growing heavier by the minute.
Once it was just Magnus, Geoff, Stacey, Simon, her and Heath, Ottilie pushed thoughts of Fion firmly out of her mind. There was nothing she could do about any of that now, and it served no purpose to fret about conversations she couldn’t have right away. Instead, they got stuck into the clean-up operation, Magnus turning up the music and swilling the last of a Chilean red as they went, Geoff chastising him and complaining that he was so drunk he was making more mess than he was tidying away. Heath threw a grin at Ottilie, and her heart swelled at the sight. Her life was filled with ups and downs – as all lives were – but at least she had Heath by her side. Whatever was coming, she knew he’d stick by her.